I looked down at my daughter. She was holding my hand as we waited in the atrium of the massive complex. People milled about, vanishing into the various wings of the vast museum complex.

All in all, it had been a good day. Shayera and I decided to bring the twins to the museum. It was a nice day spent out of the house and not on some mission. To explore the entire museum would take weeks. Instead, we just went on a very cursory trip. About an hour ago, we split up since Kris and Kendra wanted to see different exhibits. Unfortunately, Shayera was about five minutes behind.

"She'll be here soon, Kendra," I smiled reassuringly. "Any minute--"

"No, sweetie, don't touch that," I heard come from around the corner. The voice was unmistakable. And a moment later, Shy and Kris appeared. She looked around for a moment.

"Right here," I smirked, and she quickly turned her head.

"Mommy!" squealed Kendra. She tried to race toward her mother, but I held her. Upper levels or no, this was still Coruscant. It wasn't quite the safest city in the Galaxy. Shayera and I had basically been holding their hands the whole day, and on the very rare occasions we let go, they were still within arms' reach.

I followed close behind the stampeding child until Shayera took her hand. "Are we all ready?" she asked.

"Ice cream!"

I looked down at Kris, then at Shayera. She shrugged. "I said I'd get him an ice cream cone."

"I want ice cream too!" Kenda chimed in.

I chuckled. "I guess we can go out for ice cream before going home."

Shayera raised an eyebrow while the twins began to get decidedly more excited. She quickly calmed them down, and we made our way back to the speeder.

"So did Kris like the technology wing?" I asked. He and Shayera decided to explore the technology-oriented sections while Kendra and I took to the historical section. She seemed mildly interested, but ultimately, roughly an eon of local human and interstellar civilization couldn't keep the interest of an energetic almost-three-year old.

She smiled broadly. "He loved it. I had to keep him from touching the exhibits... especially that old steam engine. I can't say I blamed him, either... How did Kendra like the history section?"

Steam engine? That explains her hobby... I thought. "She was... a little interested, right honey?"

"Ice cream yet?" was the reply. Ahh, the mind of a two-and-a-half-year old.

Shayera smirked; meanwhile, we were now approaching the speeder. "I'll take that as a yes."

We got the twins buckled into their seats in the back. Shy got behind the wheel, and an instinctual flicker of annoyance ran through me. But it passed quickly, and we drove off. After all, one does not tell children that they will receive a treat and then renege on the matter and hope to come out of it unscathed...

"Stop being pseudo-philosophical," Shy snickered. "It's all over your face when you're making one of those jokes to yourself."

I looked at her. "We're spending far too much time together in close quarters," I replied.

She laughed. "So, do you want the couch, or should I take it?"

"Well, let's not be presumptuous," I grinned back.

"Ice cream!"

"Persistant, aren't they?" Shayera grinned. "They must get that from their father."_________________
Supreme Commander of the Central and Southern Galactic Segments, Director of Imperial Intelligence